Sharon Boyd, Editor/Publisher |
DallasArena.com Your alternative to The Dallas Managed News Darryl Baker
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As a former City of Dallas employee, I can assure you that MOST of city personnel do a good job and are worthy of their pay. The problem is the politicians.
Unfortunately, I must agree with David
Tuthill that the City is, indeed, "untrustworthy".
Whenever City Hall does
do something right, it is by accident. You pretty much have to be an
insider and spend a career to understand the budget process to even begin to
comprehend that it "can" work.
The real problem stems from the fact that the City Council
really does depend on the Appraisal District to consistently increase the
valuation basis on which our property is taxed in order to realize a tax
increase via the "back door".
The fact that citizens have finally figured this out has made
it uncomfortable for State legislators and the City Council who can no
longer use the County as their scapegoat.
The recent collapse in the housing mortgage market should
(repeat -- SHOULD) see a sharp drop in taxes (hence,
revenues), but I am sure that it will not. I am just not sure what vehicle
they will use to "queer the math" and try and pull
a fast one on the average property owner.
Any increases in values levied on
the rich will be token, at best. In order to break the choke hold that they
have on the appraisal district, DCAD will have to do the right thing and
assess a fair value on the rich guys, then get sued. It will only be in the
courts that the Big Boys will have to show their cards.
It is very sad that we must now return to the days of the
DISD desegration and Walker Housing Discrimination lawsuits to get things
back in order. I do not see that we have a choice.
As taxpayers, we must make sure that DCAD does not agree to
settle the lawsuits because they will do so with no disclosures, no
admission of wrong-doing, and average, honest, hard working taxpayers get
screwed AGAIN.
Mr. Tuthill, thanks for your
insights!
Darryl Baker
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